


This Is My Family

by SuperComsAndEggos



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Everything's chill, F/M, Family, Friendship, Humor, Post Season 1
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-14
Updated: 2017-03-14
Packaged: 2018-09-17 13:12:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 7,953
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9325994
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SuperComsAndEggos/pseuds/SuperComsAndEggos
Summary: A bunch of small one shots centering around Eleven and the people she's met.





	1. Mike

**Author's Note:**

> Thinking this might be about 9 chapters, with each one focusing on El and a different character!

    It was another sunny day in Hawkins, Indiana. The crisp mid-November air was fresh and the blue sky stretched out for miles. It was one of those last nice days of the season before the temperature would drop and the snow clouds would roll in.

    Mike and Eleven took this day to their advantage, not wanting to be cooped up in the basement all day and enjoy the clear weather. The duo decided to take a walk away from the main town and over near the many woods and parks.

    “So then, I walked back downstairs when Dustin grabbed my foot and startled me,” Mike continued to tell his story as he walked his bike down the leafy grounds of the forest. Eleven listened intently, curious on how this fun concept called a prank could’ve gone wrong.

    “Then I lost my footing and twisted my ankle.”

    “Were you okay?” El gasped.

    “Well, I was in pain for a few hours and really ticked off,” the boy laughed. “But, Dustin felt so guilty about the whole thing, he sort of became my butler for the day. He got me anything I needed until my ankle felt better.”

    Eleven giggled at the story and continued to walk beside Mike, twigs and leaves crunched beneath their feet. “I like this,” she said after a moment of silence.

    Mike agreed. “Yeah. It's nice that we can walk around outside without having to worry about monsters or bad men.”

    They came across the quarry, a place all too familiar to the kids. The night they found Will’s fake corpse and the day Mike proved he would do anything to save his friends were the most popular memories among the group. Mike shuddered as he recalled the moment he peered over the cliff’s edge and noticed the sharp rocks at the bottom, Troy threatening to harm Dustin if he didn't comply. As El absentmindedly kicked small pebbles in the gravel, Mike lowered his bicycle and stared out at the rocky pit in front of him.

    Eleven observed Mike, who was lost in thought. She walked up behind him and took his hand in hers, interlacing their fingers. “What's wrong, Mike?” she asked.

    He sighed and shrugged. “Just thinking, El.”

     “About what?”

    Mike chuckled a bit. “I can't believe I did that, jumped off the edge.”

    “You did it to save Dustin, right?” she questioned. “From those mouthbreathers?”

    “Yeah I did,” Mike replied.

    El tilted her head to look at him. “Would you do it for me?”

    Mike answered without hesitation. “Of course I would, El!”

    The girl smiled. She already knew the answer before the question came out of her mouth, but it always put a grin on her face knowing how thoughtful and kind Mike was. Kindness. If there was one word to describe Mike Wheeler it would be ‘kind’.

    El often remembered Benny, her first friend. At first she was scared, awaiting the punishment she would receive after she had been caught stealing food from him. Instead, the man gave her a fresh set of clothes (she was thrilled to finally be free of that itchy hospital gown), shelter, and food. But then the bad men showed up. They murdered Benny in cold blood and for what? Just because he wanted to help! El, devastated and terrified, ran off again.

    That's when she met the boys. All three of them shined their blinding flashlights in her face, and for a moment, she was ready to bolt again. But she stood still and observed them. They were young, kids, just like she was. The bad men were just that; men. She had never met anyone else around her age, so maybe these people were good.

    She had been right. Although Lucas and Dustin were a bit hesitant to help, Mike knew they had to get El out of the rain or they would all catch a cold. Mike offered up his jacket, gave her warm, clean clothes, and gave her a place to sleep (not to mention, Eggos for breakfast). At that moment, El realized Mike was kind. Just like Benny was.

    But then Mike wanted to get help, just like Benny did. El shook her head and refused to let him get help. She couldn't let him end up like Benny, she wouldn't. That's when Mike knew just how dire the situation was, and he kept quiet to the adults, protecting Eleven, as well as his friends.

    Eleven vanished from her thoughts when Mike gently tugged on her arm, guiding her back towards his bike.

    “The sun’s getting low,” he said. “We should be heading back.”

    El complied, hopping on the back of the seat and holding onto Mike’s waist as he peddled off. As they sped down the bumpy hills of the forest, Mike couldn't help but appreciate El’s tight grip around him. The whole year she was gone, he had missed her presence behind him as he rode all over Hawkins.

    “Hey, Mike?” El mumbled in his ear as she rested her chin on his shoulder.

    He turned his head slightly toward her. “Yeah, El?”

    “Could we go star gazing tonight?”

    Mike laughed and nodded. A perfect way to end the night. “Sure we can, El! That's a great idea!”

    Eleven sighed contently as she watched the evening sun put the sky to rest. “Cool,” she smiled.

 


	2. Dustin

   Dustin casually tossed his backpack across the basement floor after pulling out a small bag of grapes. It had been a long day at school and the boys were currently fretting over an upcoming English test, so Mike suggested they have a study night instead of their usual hanging out routine. Lucas and Will had to ride back towards their homes to get the current book they were reading, and Dustin decided to ride home with Mike to goof around downstairs before having to read ‘Of Mice and Men’ for class. He sat beside Eleven, who had been building mini spaceships out of Legos.

   “Hey, El, you wanna see something cool?” Dustin chirped.

   El grinned and put her creation aside. She sat cross-legged on the couch, watching intently.

   Dustin dug around in the bag, pulled out a grape and tossed it into the air like a coin. Then he tilted his head back and caught the grape in his mouth. 

   “Ta-da!” he chewed.

   El laughed and gave him a small thumbs up, a gesture he had taught her.

   “You wanna try?” He held out the bag.

   El grabbed a handful of grapes and tossed them into the air, one by one. She narrowed her eyes and the fruit began to circle above her, then she tilted her head back and let them all fall perfectly into her mouth. She wiped her nose on her sleeve as she chewed and looked at Dustin who wore a look of amazement on his face.

   “You used your powers!” he stated.

   El gulped. “Bad?”

   “No way, it was awesome!” Dustin smiled. “Your powers aren't bad, El. They make you unique, special!”

   “But, I hurt people sometimes,” she frowned. “That's bad, right?” 

   Dustin adjusted his hat and shrugged. “Yeah I guess. But you had a good reason. Those bad men in the school, they were gonna take you away from us, and back at the Junkyard, Lucas and Mike were both way out of line and you did a better job of breaking up the fight then I did,” he laughed, but stopped when he saw that she wasn't smiling.

   “And Mike,” he cleared his throat; this wasn't something he liked to think about. “Mike wouldn't be here if you hadn't rescued him from that fall and stopped Troy.”

   “Right,” El agreed.

   Dustin grabbed a handful of more grapes out of the bag. “Here, let's see who can catch more!” he showed off his toothy grin.

   The two began tossing the fruit in the air, sometimes the grapes would bounce off different objects or they would be successful and catch a few. They giggled trying to shove the other person out of the way to make them fail. Eleven loved to hang out with Dustin, he could always find a way to make her day brighter. He would also introduce her to all types of new food and snacks, pringles had been her new favorite.

   The kids continued to laugh and bicker, fruit scattering around the area. Dustin even told the story of the time he met the boys after his family moved to Hawkins. Mike, Will and Lucas all welcomed him with open arms and didn't make fun of his lisp or teeth, something he had been very self conscious about in his younger years. He told El how she shouldn't listen to what other people thought about her, what mattered most was how she saw herself.

   “I like how I am,” El admitted with a proud smile. “I like being one of you guys, I like being El.”

   “There you go, that's the spirit!” Dustin praised, giving his friend a pat on the back. “Don't let anyone else tell you otherwise!”

   Mike entered the basement, his hands full of snacks and juice boxes. “Okay, Will and Lucas should be here soon so-” He paused. “Why are there grapes on the floor?”

   Dustin and El just laughed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah this one was a tad bit shorter than usual. School is finally kicking in full force, and I'm hoping I can get these chapters out weekly (perhaps 2 a week if I can). Thanks for reading so far!


	3. Lucas

   “Concentrate. Don't forget to breathe.”

   Eleven inhaled deeply, closing one of her eyes and pulling back on the elastic band of Lucas’ wrist rocket. The aluminum cans reflected in the sunlight, and with a steady aim, El released her grip and the small stone she used as ammo launched forward, striking the stack of cans over. Lucas walked over to admire her skill.

   “Very nice,” he approved with a nod. “You didn't use your powers this time did you?”

   “Nope,” El replied with a smug smile.

   The boy gave her a pat on the shoulder. “Good job, Weirdo.”

   El rolled her eyes. “Thanks, Mouthbreather,” she teased back.

   Even though El had been back for a whole year, and she was certain that the gates had been closed and no monsters could return, the kids all agreed to have a plan of attack in case any of them  _ did _ return. Lucas brought up the fact that El couldn't always rely on her powers because of all the energy she would have to use.

   “You remember what happened after she killed the group of bad men in the school!” Lucas had said one evening as the boys sat around in the basement. “She was totally drained, Dustin had to carry her!”

   “Okay, but she’s gotten stronger since then!” Mike argued back. He looked at the girl who sat on the floor, hugging her knees as her friends bickered. “Right, El?”

   Eleven just shrugged and the boys went back to debating.

   “Look, all I'm saying is that she should only use her powers as a last resort method,” Lucas stated as he leaned back on the steps.

   Mike pondered for a moment. Nothing out of the ordinary had been happening in town lately, and the lab had been locked down and deserted. Most people would see that as a good sign, and Mike was thankful for it, but he couldn't let go of the fear that the bad men and monsters were still out there. If they were to return to Hawkins, his number one priority was keeping El safe, and if teaching her to defend herself without using her powers would accomplish that, then so be it.

   “Alright,” Mike decided. “You have a good point. Maybe she should learn some self defense.”

   “I can teach her some stuff,” offered Lucas. “I could show her how to use the wrist rocket and how to be stealthy.”

   “Sounds good,” Mike confirmed. “What do you say, El?”

   El looked up at the boys and smiled. “Sounds good.”

   And that's why El and Lucas were out in the woods. The area was spacious, no one else out to bother them, and a perfect spot to practice stealth. The older boy began by teaching El how to use the wrist rocket, how to find the perfect rocks to use, and where to aim at if someone tried to attack you. “Go for the eyes,” Lucas had told her.

   The next lesson was stealth. They went out to the deeper woods, areas filled with twigs and leaves were the perfect spots to practice, according to Lucas.

   “Alright, El, this is real simple,” he instructed. “I'm gonna stand a few feet away from you with my back turned, and you have to try and tap me on my shoulder without me hearing you.”

   “Okay,” El acknowledged. She hid behind a tree, waiting for Lucas’ signal to begin. When he gave her a thumbs up, she eyed the ground cautiously, attempting to avoid stepping on anything that could make a noise. Her small stature allowed her to move with ease, quietly sneaking up on Lucas and tapping him lightly on the shoulder. He was genuinely surprised the first time, so he made the gap between them a little farther than the last. Incredibly, Eleven was almost a pro at stealth! She did have experience in running away from government agents after all.

   The other things Lucas tried to teach her, El already knew the basics. Throwing punches, kicking, biting (if necessary). At the end of the day, Eleven came out successful in her training. Lucas had fun teaching her and he was thankful that El didn’t hold grudges (if she even knew what grudges were). Otherwise, he’d be fearing that she would throw him back 50 feet just like she did after he and Mike fought.

   “You did real good today, El,” Lucas praised. “I'm proud of you.”

   “I have a good teacher,” El commented with a bright smile.


	4. Will

   Eleven tossed and turned on the Byers’ couch in the living room. She tried to take a nap that afternoon, but visions of the Upside Down, the lab, and monsters flooded her subconscious. After many failed attempts of counting sheep and trying to focus on more peaceful objects, she decided to get up and find something to eat.

   She walked into the kitchen and found Will sitting at the table, art supplies spread all around him and a focused glare in his eyes.

   “Hi, Will,” El yawned and rubbed her eyes. “When did you get home?”

   Will looked up from his sketch, a more happier look on his face. “Hey, El! I got home from school a half hour ago, you were asleep on the couch so I didn't want to bother you.”

   El beamed and fixed herself a bowl of cereal. Lucky Charms were her favorite, although she mostly picked out the marshmallows and ate them. She took a seat beside Will and observed him as she ate. He was an outstanding artist, as far as El was concerned. The best she could draw were stick figures and Will’s artwork was always colorful and detailed, El figured she should just give up drawing all together. The girl took another glance at his work, it wasn't as bright and colorful as they usually were, lots of dark blue, green and purple filled the page.

   “I had another nightmare last night,” Will confessed. “I was back in the Upside Down.”

   Eleven didn't say anything, just nodded sympathetically and continued eating her cereal.

   “It was so dark and empty, danger at every turn,” he continued as he colored. “I try to forget about it, but I just can't! You've been there longer than I have, El. How do you deal with it?”

   The girl shrugged and pushed away her snack. “I take deep breathes, just like Hopper taught me, and I try to think about something else.”

   “What do you think about?”

   “Things that make me happy,” El replied. “You, Joyce, Jonathan, Mike, Lucas, Dustin, Nancy, Hopper…”

   Eleven stopped and looked at Will. He had a tiny smile on his face but the grey in his eyes told her that this wicked memory was still harassing him. “Why haven't you talked to Joyce or Jonathan about this?” she asked.

   Will sighed heavily. “Are you kidding? They went through so much trouble when I went missing. And now, they're still out there, working for the longest hours just to pay off our electricity bill. I just feel like this is all because of me, and if I told them about my nightmares, it would just put more stress on them.” Will let out a frustrated groan and buried his face into his hands.

   El rubbed his back soothingly, something Joyce would do whenever she had a nightmare. “Will, it's not your fault. They'll understand,” she assured.

   Will raised his head up. “You think so?” he wondered. Eleven nodded her head with a smile and the boy stiffened up. He grabbed another colored pencil and continued to color in his drawing; it was his house, only darker and tangled with moldy vines.

   “You know, drawing really helps me with stress,” Will explained. “It's like spilling your thoughts onto paper.”

   “Really?” Eleven inquired. “May I try?”

   Will brightened up. “Of course!” he laughed and handed her a pencil and paper. Eleven thanked him and stared at the blank canvas, wondering what to create. A few moments passed and El became a bit frustrated, tapping her pencil impatiently on the page.

   “I don't know what to draw,” she sighed. “What are you doing?”

Will stared solemnly at his art. “It's just my house, or the one that I saw when I was in the Upside Down. I thought it would help me get over my fear.”

   El blinked and shuffled her feet. “You can draw your fears?”

    “Sure, El, you can draw anything you want to. Try it out!” he suggested.

   Eleven nodded and picked up her pencil again. She hated to admit it, but she had a lot of fears. Her time in the lab, the bad men, losing control of her powers, hurting her friends and family. She took a deep breath, calming herself before the bad memories would come back. 

   She started by drawing a line across her page. She wasn't as artistically skilled as Will was, but she continued, sketching out stick figures. She drew one with short hair on the left side of the line, and four others on the right, each with their own characteristics. Freckles, curly hair and a hat, camouflage bandana, and a bowl cut. The left side of the drawing was shading with gray and black, while the right was bright and colorful.

   When she was finished, she presented it to Will. “It's lovely, El!” he praised. “May I ask why you decide to draw that?”

   El nodded her head and explained her creation. “I drew my fear. Being away from my friends, trapped in the Upside Down.”

   Will understood completely. Being contained in that hellish version of their world was worse than any grounding or punishment he could think of (not that he got grounded often). He had so much respect for El. She lasted a full year in the Upside Down whereas he was on the brink of death after a week. Granted she didn't have to hide from the Demogorgon, but that was a small win.

   “I know how you feel, El,” Will sympathized. “I can't imagine being in that place for a whole year.”

   “But I'm here now,” El tried to brighten the mood. “And I have you guys to keep me safe, just like I keep you safe.”

   Will laughed again and agreed. “Right, El. We always have each other. Now how about I teach you how to draw R2 from Star Wars?”

   Eleven straightened up and shook her head. “Yes please!”


	5. Joyce

   “Would you just be still for a moment?” Joyce grumbled as she attempted to hold down Chester who was whining and wiggling out of her loose grip. The dog had never been fond of baths, and with springtime drawing near, Joyce wanted to get the cleaning over and done with so Chester wouldn't attract any fleas and other unwanted insects into the house. The dog managed to get loose and ran across the backyard, avoiding the small pool filled with soapy water near the shed.

   Joyce got up and sighed. She was going to need extra help with this chore. Jonathan and Will were both at school, so the only person left was El. Eleven adored animals, although she often preferred canines over felines. Chester had warmed up to her instantly and the two became attached. 

   El was lounging in the living room, with a stash of Will’s favorite comics on the coffee table. She wasn't totally focused on the actual story, but instead loved to let her eyes skim over the colorful pictures.

   “El, honey, could you help me with something please?” Joyce called out after she entered the kitchen.

   Eleven placed down the comic and followed Joyce into the backyard. She froze and felt her heart drop when she spotted the small swimming pool filled with water. Did she have to go back into the bath? Was someone else taken into the Upside Down? Hundreds of questions crowded El’s thoughts and she felt her breathing get shallow and heavy.

   “No...no,” El shook her head and covered her eyes.

   El, what is it?” Joyce bent down and rubbed her shoulders. “What's wrong, sweetheart?”

   The girl pointed a shaky finger at the pool and whispered. “The bath. Do I have to go back?”

   It took the older woman a moment to figure out what El had meant. The homemade sensory deprivation tank at the school, trying to locate Will and Barb. It had been a frightening experience for her. First coming across Barb’s slug-filled corpse and losing Will’s location, she had felt like a failure.

   “Oh no, no, El,” Joyce said, calming the scared child in front of her. “You'll never have to go back to that place. This is just for Chester, I need help with cleaning him up.”

   “My help?” El sniffled and Joyce nodded in response.

   “All I need you to do is keep him relaxed while I wash him down. Pet him and keep him from running off, can you do that for me?” she smiled kindly.

   “Yes,” El responded and looked over at the dog who was scratching and biting at his tail. El knelt by the pool and called Chester over. The shaggy animal got up and scampered toward her, panting and tail wagging. Eleven scratched the dog behind the ears and led him closer over to Joyce who filled up a small bucket with warm water.

   Chester whimpered with annoyance as his fur became soaked with water and Joyce began scrubbing him down. Eleven continued to pet and talk to the dog, helping to keep him still. “Good boy,” she spoke. “You're okay.”

   After more brushing, scrubbing, and a final rinse, Chester was all clean. El grimaced at the sent. Wet dog, she concluded, was not one of her favorite smells. But Joyce clarified that it would go away soon. After drying off the mutt with a towel, Chester shook off the extra water on his fur, soaking El in the process.

   “Eww, gross!” she groaned and wiped her face. Joyce chuckled and handed her another towel.

   “Well, at least that's over and done with,” she stated. “Thank you for your help, El! That would've taken forever if I tried by myself.”

  “You're welcome,” El smiled.

   “Yikes, what's that smell?” Will asked as he entered the backyard. He had just come home from school and was confused when he wasn't greeted by any of his family when he walked through the front door. Then he spotted his mother, El, and Chester, who was laying down near the house, licking his fur.

   “Let me guess, you tried to give the dog a bath?” he smirked.

   “Yep, and it went better than last time,” Joyce stood up. “We didn't have to chase him around with a hose. Thanks to El, he stayed somewhat relaxed.”

   Will let out a sigh of relief. “Well, you saved me from having to help out, so I owe you one, El.” He didn't mind doing chores around the house, but washing the dog was always a hassle.

   “You have any food?” Eleven wondered as she followed Will back into the house. “I'm getting hungry.”

   “Not on me right now, but Mike is ordering pizza soon, I came over to pick you up,” Will explained. 

   “Sounds good!” El confirmed. She could already see the sticky, melted cheese and it made her mouth water.

    "Great, but you might want to change clothes first. You smell like wet dog."


	6. Hopper

   Eleven loved having hair, there was so many things to do with it! She enjoyed running her fingers through her locks and massage her scalp. Other times, Mike would softly scratch her head as she rested on him, listening to his quiet voice as he told her a story. When she was riding bikes, either with Mike or on her own beside the boys, she felt free with the wind blowing past her. And car rides were always a blast when she rolled down the window and let her hair run wild.

   Hopper often took El for rides around town while the boys were at school. He didn't want her to be cooped up in a house all day, and she was always ecstatic whenever she got to go see new areas of Hawkins. Looking at all the people and different buildings always amazed El, she couldn't believe all that she was missing while being locked in a lab for 12 years.

   After some grocery shopping and patrolling, Hopper decided to get some lunch for the both of them. He pulled up to a nearby diner and the two went inside. El felt nostalgia wash over her as she glanced around the area. It was just like Benny’s restaurant. Tables and booths around the windows, a jukebox playing old records, and the mouthwatering smell of grilled food. Hopper led El over to a booth where they both looked over the menu, Hopper informing El that they already stopped serving breakfast, so Eggos were sadly out of the question.

   “What would you like, Kiddo?” Hopper spoke, already knowing what he wanted.

   Eleven browsed through all the different pictures of food. Everything looked delicious, but she chose the standard cheeseburger and fries, mostly because it was the first thing she smelled when she walked through the door. “That one,” she decided, pointing at the picture.

   Hopper chuckled, his voice soft. “Good pick. That's the one I always get when I come here.”

   The waitress came over and took their orders. As they waited for their food, Hopper and El played a small game. Both of them stared out the window and began counting the different cars that zoomed by the diner. El counted the red ones, while Hopper counted the blue ones. In the end, he let El win the game after a short argument on whether fire trucks counted as a car or not.

   Once the waitress returned with the meal and food was on the table, El started scarfing down the burger as soon as she got her hands on it.

   “Easy there, El,” Hopper laughed, shaking his head slightly. “Take your time, the food isn't going anywhere.”

   The girl glanced up at him and nodded, taking slower bites and occasionally stopping for a quick sip of her Pepsi. She laughed as she watched Hopper take a bite into his burger and drops of mustard and ketchup fell onto his face, coating his beard with red and yellow.

   “These are some fine burgers,” Hopper complimented as he wiped his face with a napkin. “But you know who made the best burgers in town?”

   El shook her head, indicating him to continue.

   “My old friend, Benny,” he concluded.

   Eleven let out a small gasp and stopped eating. Memories pounded at her head as she remembered sneaking into the old restaurant and  meeting this intimidating, yet kind, man. She remembered eating ice cream and learning what a smile was. And she remembered the gunshot and Benny’s large frame collapsing onto the floor.

   She pushed away her half eaten food, not wanting to remember anymore.

   “Something wrong, El?” Concern filled Hopper’s blue eyes.

   “Benny,” El tried to hold back her tears. “I got him killed.”

   “What?” Hopper asked in a hushed tone. Eleven sniffed as she told him about how she found his restaurant after she escaped Hawkins Lab. How Benny caught her stealing food and, instead of calling the cops, took care of her the best he could. How the bad men had followed her, and Hopper already knew what happened next.

   “It was my fault,” El rubbed her eyes and tried to take deep breathes. “If I had just stayed hidden-”

   “Hey, hey, slow down there, Kiddo,” Hopper attempted to calm El. “None of that is on you, you hear me?”

   The girl took another shaky breath and the chief continued. “The bad men,” he explained. “They were very smart, El. They would've tracked you down either way. What happened to Benny was an accident. And trust me, I've known this guy for years and I know for a fact that he would've helped out any stray kid that wandered into his place. That's just the kind of man he was.”

   Eleven nodded, trying to understand. She stared at the table for a moment before cracking a small smile. “Benny was my friend.”

   The man reflected the smile, and gently convinced El to finish up her food. “I'm glad, Kid.”

   After there was nothing left on the plates, Hopper payed the bill and the two returned to the truck outside. The chief offered to take El to Dairy Queen for ice cream and she gladly accepted.

   “What flavor do you want?” He asked her.

   “Chocolate!” El announced.

   Hopper clicked his tongue. “Of course. You want it in a cup or a waffle cone?”

   El turned to look at him, her eyes wide. “They have Eggo cones?!”

   


	7. Jonathan

   Springtime in Hawkins was definitely a sight to behold. Around April and May, the woods became alive with blossoming trees, freshly growing grass, and animals coming out of their hiding spots from hibernation.

   As school was starting to come to a close for the summertime, the students became flustered with all types of final projects and tests. In his photography class, Jonathan got assigned to documenting nature. Of course he wasn't worried at all, photography was his passion and he was one of the top students in the class, albeit a quiet one. Although Jonathan was more of the loner type, he never strayed away from his family. So he invited El to join him on his nature walk, and even let her borrow one of his old cameras so she could take pictures of her own.

   “So you just look through this small window, alright,” he instructed. “Then you want to get the object right in the center, and when you think you’ve got it, press this big button right here to take the picture. Understand?”

   “Yes,” El responded. She placed the camera strap around her neck and held the device close to her chest as they walked through the forest. Eleven looked at Jonathan as he strolled around the area. He was very quiet and observant, taking photos at different angles, sometimes laying on the ground to get a certain viewpoint. It was very interesting to just sit around and watch him do what he did best.

   Eventually, El had spotted a baby rabbit near a meadow and decided to follow it. It was small and had grey fur, it reminded El of a little cotton ball. She smiled with delight watching it find its way around the environment and found a perfect opportunity for a picture. Steadily, she remembered what Jonathan had taught her, and made sure the rabbit was in the center before snapping the photo. Unfortunately, she had forgot to turn the flash off and the startled bunny quickly ran away.

   “Wait!” Eleven yelled after the animal. She tried her best to follow the trail without getting lost, when she came upon another creature, something bigger. “Woah,” El spoke in awe.

   A fully grown deer was now in her sights, munching away at grass and twigs. Slowly, El backed up and went to go look for Jonathan, he was the master at this stuff, so perhaps he could take a better photo than she could.

   The older brother had been adding more film in the camera when Eleven had found him.

   “Jonathan,” she whispered to him from behind a tree and motioned for him to follow. He hurried over, camera ready and an observant stare locked on his face.

   “What is it, El?” he asked, looking around.

   The girl led him back to where she had seen the large animal. She smiled and pointed to the deer, “It's Bambi.”

   Jonathan’s eyes twinkled as he gazed at the magnificent buck. He recalled the day when he, Will and El had a Disney movie marathon and Bambi was one of her favorites. “Yep, that's definitely Bambi,” he chuckled and prepared his camera for a photo. When the teenager got the shot he was looking for, they slowly backed away, leaving the deer alone to graze in peace.

   “I saw Thumper earlier, but he ran off after I took the picture,” El had said as they walked back.

   “Oh, did you?” Jonathan inquired. El nodded her head and continued. “I'm not as good as you when I'm taking pictures,” she frowned.

   “Don't feel bad, El,” the young man gave her a pat on the back. “I wasn't the best photographer when I first started. It took a lot of practice to get to where I am now. Just keep at it and you'll improve, trust me.”

   Eleven shrugged, shuffling her feet across the grass. “I like drawing more than pictures,” she confessed.

   “You sound just like Will,” the older brother laughed. “But that's good. Stick to what you're best at.”

   The two continued to stroll around the woods, Jonathan still needing a few more shots for his project. He took a few more landscape photos near a pond, captured a scene of baby birds learning to fly, and even snuck in a picture of El, when she wasn't looking, trying to chase a butterfly. The afternoon ended with a trip to McDonald's, suggesting songs for a new mixtape, and Jonathan promising to get an extra copy of the picture of Bambi for El.

  



	8. Nancy

   It had started off as a regular day. Eleven had spent the night at the Wheeler’s, she and Mike had a Scooby-Doo marathon in the basement. The family had breakfast that morning and Mike introduced her to a combination of peanut butter and syrup to put on her eggos. And El had told Mike about the weird dream she had where she saw Spider-Man try to fight off the Demogorgon.

   That afternoon, Mike had heard the familiar jingle that any kid would recognize; the ice cream truck. Without wasting a second and with minimal explanation, he snatched a five dollar bill off his nightstand and took El by the hand, leading her to his bike. As she held onto him, he explained that sometimes during the spring and summer months, a friendly man in a truck decorated with colorful pictures would drive around neighborhoods and offer ice cream. Alas, Mike had fallen a bit behind and was quickly losing sight of the vehicle.

   Thinking quickly, he tried to take a different path that led into the main part of town, but the wooded area had been a bit bumpy and the front wheel of the bike hit a rock, sending the kids tumbling into a rose bush surrounded by thorns. After making sure El was alright and no major injuries had occurred, Mike peddled back to the house so the two could get rid of the tiny spines that were now all over them.

   And now El was in Nancy’s room, sitting on her bed as the older teenager helped her get the rest of the thorns untangled out of her hair.

   “Ow!”

   “Oops. Sorry, El, I'm trying to be careful here,” Nancy apologized. “So, how did this happen again?”

   El stiffened a giggle, remembering the pouty face Mike had when he tried to explain that he rode into a thorn bush attempting to catch an ice cream truck. He grumbled and walked upstairs as Nancy and even Holly had been laughing at his clumsiness. Now he was in his room, changing into a fresh set of clothes and picking the rest of the spines out of his skin.

   “We weren't being careful,” El shrugged.

   Nancy just laughed. She knew her little brother wasn't always the most graceful person on the planet. She smiled as she reminisced about the days when they were younger and she would tease him by calling him accident prone.

   “You know, your hair is getting lengthier, El!” Nancy observed. “Maybe I can try to put a little braid in it this time.”

   “Can you?” El sounded cheerful.

   “I'll try my best!”

   When she had returned from the Upside Down, her hair had grown at an exponential rate, resting just behind her ears. Over time, she learned how to clean it and properly take care of it and now her hair reached down to the back of her neck, barely touching her shoulders. Nancy had managed to tie a short braid in the younger girl’s hair, holding up a small mirror so she could observe the small action of her hairstyle that sat on the edge of her shoulder. “Pretty,” El smiled.

   “Very pretty,” Nancy complimented. “Have you ever had a makeover, El?”

   “Make...over?” she questioned.

   “Yeah, you know, with makeup like eyeliner and lip gloss. It’s just something that girls will do sometimes to enhance how they look.” the teenager explained.

   Eleven nodded her head. “I have. Mike gave me one when we had to go to the school,” she recalled.

   Nancy picked up the small mirror and brushed down the flyaways near her eyes with her free hand. “Aww, that was nice of him! I'm sure if you asked him, he'd be willing to do it again. Heck, maybe even  _ you _ could give him one! Return the favor,” she joked.

   El thought that to be a great idea. Mike was always doing thoughtful and kind things for her, so she wanted to do something thoughtful for him. The makeover he had given her before they snuck into the school had been one of her favorite memories, mostly because she got to learn a bit more about Mike and how focused he could get whenever he was trying to complete a task. “Could I?” El wondered.

   Nancy walked over to her dresser with a sly smile. She knew for a fact that it was nearly impossible for Mike to say no to El, and if she were to give him a makeover, she wanted to be sure to witness the way he looked afterward. Nancy picked up the small box filled with makeup supplies and handed it to El. “Go for it!” she encouraged.

   El smiled with glee as she walked out of Nancy’s room and over to Mike’s. His door was still shut, so she knocked politely and waited for permission.

   “Just a second,” Mike yelled from the other side.

   El hid the box behind her back and swayed back and forth on her heels, waiting patiently. Mike opened the door, his hair still looked a bit ruffled from their little crash earlier, and he let her in his room. “You manage to get all the thorns out of you?” he asked.

   “Yes,” El replied, scratching her head to make sure no more resided on her scalp.

   “Oh, that's good,” Mike nodded and leaned forward to try and see what she was hiding. “What’cha got behind your back there?”

   El grinned and held up the small, recognizable box toward him. “Makeover,” she stated.

   Mike’s eyes lit up. “Oh, you want me to give you another one?”

   Eleven shook her head. “No, I want to give  _ you _ one.”

   The boy’s eyes widened in fear and realization. “I...uh, I...what?!” he stuttered as El sat next to him on his bed. She waited for a yes or no response from him, but all that came out were sounds of confusion and disbelief.

   Mike sighed and finally gave in. “Alright, fine,” he said. “But on one condition; you can  _ never _ tell the guys about this, okay? If they ever found out, they’d never let me live this down.”

   “I promise,” El responded as she opened the box and scanned over the different items and materials. Mike shifted his position so that he sat cross-legged, opposite of her. He smiled a bit as he saw the excitement behind her eyes. “How did you know what to do the first time?” El asked as she began applying blush to Mike’s cheeks. “Nancy said that most boys don't wear makeup.”

   “They don't,” Mike stated with a chuckle. “However, when you grow up with an older sister, you're kind of forced to at some point in your life. When we were younger, before Holly was born, Nancy would always test out her makeup on me,” Mike explained. “The only reason I did it was because she promised me something in return, like a candy bar or getting out of doing a chore.”

   “So like a reward?” she wondered, focusing her attention on his lips as she coated them with lip gloss.

   “Mmm-hmm,” he mumbled, keeping his lips pursed. After she was done with the gloss, he opened his mouth. “That was how I got her to dress as an elf for our D&D elder tree campaign.”

   After a finishing touch with eye shadow, El handed a tiny mirror to Mike. He observed himself, expression shifting from confusion and uncertainty.

   “Pretty,” El complemented.

   “You think so?” Mike shrugged.

   Eleven nodded. “Pretty good.”

   “Just like old times right, Mike?” a voice said.

   Mike turned his head toward the doorway and saw Nancy standing with an amusing smile on her face. “I wish I had a camera around, you look glamorous!” she teased.

   Mike grumbled. “Please don't.”

    The older sibling held her hands up in surrender. “Hey, I didn't see anything,” she laughed and returned to her room.


	9. Steve

   El sat near the coffee table in the Wheeler’s living room, practicing her artwork and watching cartoons. Mike was in his room completing the assignments for school he had missed after being sick the previous week. Not wanting to throw his focus off, she decided to wait downstairs until he finished his homework. A few moments passed and Nancy sauntered downstairs in a bathrobe and towel over her wet hair.

   “Hey, El, if Steve knocks on the front door could you let him in?” she asked. “He should be here to pick me up for our date in a few minutes.”

   Eleven nodded her head before continuing her drawing. She hadn't officially met Steve, but she's seen him before. Tall, strong, and he had good looking hair. It looked really soft and fluffy, El often wondered if it was just as soft and fluffy as Mike’s.

   A few knocks and a ring of the doorbell alerted the girl and she walked toward the front of the room to answer it. As expected, Steve had arrived, dressed in his casual athlete’s jacket, blue jeans and sneakers. He was a little surprised at Eleven answering the door, raising his eyebrows and shoving his hands in his pockets.

   “Uh, hey,” he greeted.

   “Hello,” El replied. “You're Steve?”

   “Yep. And you're El, right?”

   Eleven smiled and let him inside. She returned to her spot at the coffee table, picking up a green crayon and began to color in her drawing, not paying attention to the Tom and Jerry episode playing in the background. Steve sat down on the couch and waited for Nancy, awkwardly shaking his leg and staring down at the floor. He didn't know much about El and wasn't sure how to strike up a conversation with her. He pretended to check his watch and caught a glance at what she was doing; she was drawing something and had a concentrated look on her face.

   “So…” he clicked his tongue. “Whatcha drawing?”

   El looked up at Steve and back down at her paper. It wasn't as detailed as Will’s art, but she was proud of it nevertheless. The blue and green striped shirt, messy black hair and freckled face were all well known characteristics to her. 

   She smiled, content with her work. “Mike.”

   Steve chuckled. “Mike, huh? Nancy's little bro?”

    El confirmed with another smile. Steve leaned in closer to get a better look. He nodded his head in approval at the drawing.

   “That's very cute. You like him or something?” he asked.

   “Yes,” El spoke quietly.

   Steve was about to comment something, when Nancy arrived downstairs. She was dressed in her normal attire and hair pulled back in a ponytail.

   “Hey, Steve,” she smiled at him. “Ready to go?”

   The young man rose up from the couch and sauntered over to his girlfriend. “You know it!” he chuckled and wrapped an arm around her. “You look good today, Babe!”

   Nancy giggled and blushed as they walked out the door. She waved goodbye to El and they left, leaving the young girl to her thoughts. She recalled asking Nancy one night what normal couples usually do, and the teenager listed all sorts of things.  _ ‘Hugging, kissing, having fun together, they just like to be around one another,’ _ she had said.  _ ‘Oh! And complements, that's a big one!’  _ Maybe that's why Nancy liked Steve so much, he always put his arm around her and complimented her.

   El sighed and put down the crayon she was using. She walked upstairs and saw that Mike’s door was open. The boy was at the desk near his window, lamp on and pencil scribbling out different math equations. El entered his room and took a seat beside him, he looked up at her and smiled.

   “Hey, El!” he chirped, continuing to write.

   El responded by mimicking what she had seen earlier. She put her arm around Mike's shoulders and said “You look good today, Babe!”

   Mike froze and turned beet red. Did she just call him  _ ‘Babe’? _ This was really unexpected, especially coming from El.  _ ‘Just take the complement Wheeler!’ _ he screamed in his head.

   “Um, thanks, El,” his voice cracked a little. “You look good, too!”

   Eleven loosened her grip around Mike after feeling him tense up. “Did I do something wrong?” she glanced at him, confused.

   “No! No,” Mike quickly replied. “It's just...I didn't expect this kind of affectionate gesture from you. I-I don't have a problem with it, it just caught me off guard.”

   “Oh,” El sighed. “I saw Steve do it to Nancy before they left. I thought it was something couples did.”

   Mike snickered and brushed a hand through his hair.  _ ‘That explains it’ _ he thought.

   “Some couples do  tend to do that sort of thing,” Mike explained. “But we don't have to be exactly like the others, we’re our own thing. We don't have to act like every other couple we see, understand?”

   El nodded her head and smiled. “I get it, our own thing. Eggos and Star Wars?” she suggested.

   Mike closed his textbook and turned off the desk lamp. “Sounds good to me!” he laughed and followed her back downstairs.


End file.
